Pilot feature for top hinge for refrigerator

ABSTRACT

An arrangement is provided for returning a removed hinge plate to a predetermined position on a refrigerator cabinet after the hinge plate has been removed. A screw plate is loosely movably positioned on an inside side of an outer wrapper of the refrigerator cabinet in a location approximating the location for the top hinge plate. The hinge plate is positioned on an outer surface of the outer wrapper and is removably secured to the screw plate. The hinge plate includes a recess area. A pilot plate is positioned on the outer surface of the outer wrapper, secured to the screw plate and being closely received in the recess area in the hinge plate. The pilot plate remains in position relative to the screw plate and the wrapper when the hinge plate is removed from the screw plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to refrigerators and inparticular to top hinge locating arrangements for refrigerator doors.

Refrigerators typically have one or two doors that may be pivotallysecured to the refrigerator cabinet with hinges. With pivotally attacheddoors, generally there is a sealing gasket that is located on an insideside of the door which mates with a front surface of the cabinet outerwrapper to prevent leakage of air into and out of the refrigerationcompartment. The door must therefore be positioned relative to thecompartment opening such that the gasket will engage the cabinet wrapperto provide this seal. Usually there is a fair amount of toleranceinvolved, so that exact positioning of the door on the cabinet is nothighly critical.

However, in the case of side-by-side refrigerator doors, such as wherethere is a side-by-side arrangement of a refrigeration compartment and afreezer compartment, or where the doors are french doors opening into asingle refrigerated compartment, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No.4,288,135, incorporated herein by reference, the positioning of thedoors on the cabinet, and hence, relative to one another, becomes morecritical in order to avoid interference between the two doors and toassure a proper seal with the cabinet. Although the doors are secured tothe cabinet in their correct locations at the factory, occasionally thedoors are removed during shipping or installation, such as to fitthrough narrow doorways, therefore requiring that the doors be returnedto their original position in order to avoid problems between the twodoors and to assure proper sealing of the doors relative to the cabinetand possibly each other.

The present invention addresses and solves this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an arrangement for returning a removedhinge plate to a predetermined position on a refrigerator cabinet afterthe hinge plate has been removed. This arrangement includes a screwplate loosely movably positioned on an inside side of an outer wrapperof the refrigerator cabinet in a location approximating the location forthe top hinge plate. The hinge plate is positioned on an outer surfaceof the outer wrapper and is removably secured to the screw plate. Thehinge plate includes a recess area and a pilot plate is positioned onthe outer surface of the outer wrapper, secured to the screw plate andis closely received in the recess area in the hinge plate. The pilotplate remains in position relative to the screw plate and the wrapperwhen the hinge plate is removed from the screw plate.

In an embodiment, the hinge plate has a non-rotatable shaped recess areaand the pilot plate has complementary shaped perimeter.

In an embodiment, the recess area has a square shape.

In an embodiment, the recess area comprises an opening in the hingeplate.

In an embodiment, the pilot plate is secured to the screw plate with alocking fastener.

In an embodiment, the locking fastener is a headed threaded fastenerwith locking serrations on an underside of a head of the fastener.

In an embodiment, the recess in the hinge plate and the pilot plate areconfigured such that the hinge plate is not permitted to rotate relativeto the pilot plate.

In an embodiment, the recess in the hinge plate and the pilot plate areconfigured such that movement of the hinge plate relative to the pilotplate, in a plane parallel to the top surface of the wrapper, isrestricted.

In an embodiment, a refrigerator is provided having a cabinet with anouter wrapper, an inner liner and a foamed-in-place insulation betweenthe wrapper and the liner, and two side-by-side cabinet doors, eachconnected to the cabinet with a top hinge and a bottom hinge. A screwplate is loosely captured between the insulation and the outer wrapperin a location approximating the location for one of the top hinges. Eachtop hinge comprises a hinge plate carrying a hinge pin engageable withone of the doors, positioned on a top surface of the outer wrapper andremovably secured to the screw plate. The hinge plate includes a recessarea, and a pilot plate is positioned on the top surface of the outerwrapper, secured to the screw plate and is closely received in therecess area in the hinge plate.

In an embodiment, a method is provided of attaching a hinge plate to arefrigerator cabinet outer wrapper such that the hinge plate may beremoved and replaced on the wrapper in an originally set position. Thismethod comprises the steps of:

loosely positioning a screw plate on an inside side of an outer wrapperof the refrigerator cabinet in a location approximating the location forthe top hinge plate,

positioning the hinge plate on an outer surface of the outer wrapper andsecuring the hinge plate to the screw plate in a desired position,

positioning a pilot plate on the outer surface of the outer wrapper andin a recess area in the hinge plate, and

securing the pilot plate to the screw plate.

When the hinge plate is removed from the outer wrapper, the pilot platewill remain in place on the wrapper and the hinge plate may be returnedto the wrapper by positioning the recess area in the hinge plate aroundthe pilot plate, thus returning the hinge plate to the desired position.

These and other aspects and details of the present invention will becomeapparent upon a reading of the detailed description and a review of theaccompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention aredescribed herein. The present invention is not intended to be limited toonly these embodiments. Changes and modifications can be made to thedescribed embodiments and yet fall within the scope of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator embodying theprinciples of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator cabinet showingattachment of the top door hinge.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the screw plate in isolation.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the screw plate of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the hinge plate in isolation.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the hinge plate of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hinge plate of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pilot plate in isolation.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the hinge plate, pilot plate and screw plate inassembled alignment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In an embodiment, the present invention provides an arrangement forreturning a removed hinge plate to a predetermined position on arefrigerator cabinet after the hinge plate has been removed.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a refrigerator 20 is provided having acabinet 22 with an outer wrapper 24, an inner liner 26 and afoamed-in-place insulation 28 between the wrapper and the liner. Therefrigerator 20 has two side-by-side cabinet doors 30, 32, eachconnected to the cabinet with a top hinge 34 and a bottom hinge 36.

In an embodiment of the invention, a screw plate 40 is loosely movablypositioned on an inside side 42 of the outer wrapper 24 of therefrigerator cabinet 22 in a location approximating the location for atop hinge plate 44. The space between the outer wrapper 24 and the liner26 is filled with the insulation 28, which typically is a foam-in-placeinsulation. An enlarged void 46 is provided in the area of the locationof the hinge plate 44 to loosely receive the screw plate 40. Thus, thescrew plate 40 is free to move in a plane parallel to a outer surface 48of the wrapper 24 to a limited degree, such as by at least 5 to 10millimeters.

The hinge plate 44 is positioned on the outer surface 48 of the outerwrapper 24 and is removably secured to the screw plate 40, such as witha plurality of threaded fasteners 50. The screw plate 40 is shown inisolation in FIGS. 3 and 4, where it is seen that the screw plate may beprovided with a plurality of threaded holes 52 and bosses 54 providing alonger length for the holes, so that the hinge plate 44 may be securelyattached to, yet may also be removed from, the outer wrapper 24, if needbe.

The hinge plate 44 is shown in isolation in FIGS. 5-7, where it is seenthat the hinge plate is provided with a plurality of holes 56 whichalign with the holes 52 in the screw plate and which will receive thethreaded fasteners 50. The hinge plate 44 also carries a hinge pin 57which will pivotally engage with one of the doors 30, 32 to allow aswinging movement of the door. Typically, in the factory, thepositioning of the hinge plates 44 is accomplished with the use offixtures which correctly position the doors 30, 32 relative to thecabinet 22 and each other, and then the hinge plates are assembled ontothe cabinet. In this manner, each hinge plate 44 will be placed in adesired original position, and once it is secured to the screw plate 40,the hinge plate will remain in the desired original position. To permita user, mover or installer to return the hinge plate 34 to the originaldesired position after it has been removed away from the factory, apilot plate 58 is provided.

The pilot plate 58 is shown in isolation in FIG. 8 and has a shape andconfiguration such that it will be closely received in a recess area 59in the hinge plate 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the pilot plate 58has a generally square outer periphery 60. The recess area 59 in thehinge plate 34 is a square shaped opening through a central area of thehinge plate which provides a very small tolerance gap once the pilotplate is inserted into the recess area, as shown in the assembled viewof FIGS. 2 and 9. The pilot plate 58 includes a hole 62 which alignswith a hole 64 on the screw plate 40, and which may receive a fastener66, such as a locking treaded fastener. Such locking threaded fasteners66 are known which have a head 68 with locking serrations 70 (FIG. 2) onthe underside of the head, such that the loosening or removal of thefastener is greatly impeded.

Other shapes and configurations may be provided for the recess area 59,including a depression or offset area, rather than a hole through thehinge plate 44, or a contour in the outer perimeter of the hinge platerather than a hole through a central portion of the plate. Also, therecess area 59 in the hinge plate 44 and the pilot plate 58 could beconfigured such that the hinge plate is not permitted to rotate relativeto the pilot plate, which could be achieved by providing something otherthan a round shaped recess and a mating round perimeter pilot plate, forexample, by using two or more round openings engaged by pins. Or, therecess area 59 may have a non-round shape and the pilot plate 58 mayhave a non-round complementary shape. Also, the recess area 59 in thehinge plate 44 and the pilot plate 58 may be configured such thatmovement of the hinge plate relative to the pilot plate, in a planeparallel to the outer surface 48 of the wrapper 24, is restricted. It ispreferred that this movement be restricted to less than 1 millimeter andperhaps to about one half of a millimeter.

When the hinge plate 44 is removed from the refrigerator cabinet 22, thepilot plate 58 remains in position relative to the screw plate 44 andthe outer wrapper 24. Thus, when the hinge plate 44 is to be replaced onthe cabinet 22, the pilot plate 58 will accurately position the hingeplate as the recess area 59 is returned to surround the pilot plate.This will assure that the hinge plate 44 is returned to the originaldesired position set in the factory.

In an embodiment, a method is provided of attaching the hinge plate 44to the refrigerator cabinet outer wrapper 24 such that the hinge platemay be removed and replaced on the wrapper in an originally setposition. This method comprises the steps of:

loosely positioning a screw plate 40 on an inside side 42 of the outerwrapper 24 of the refrigerator cabinet 22 in a location approximatingthe location for the top hinge plate 44,

positioning the hinge plate 44 on the outer surface 48 of the outerwrapper 24 and securing the hinge plate to the screw plate 40 in adesired position,

positioning the pilot plate 58 on the outer surface 48 of the outerwrapper 24 and in a recess area 59 in the hinge plate 44, and

securing the pilot plate 58 to the screw plate 40.

When the hinge plate 44 is removed from the outer wrapper 24, the pilotplate 58 will remain in place on the wrapper and the hinge plate may bereturned to the wrapper by positioning the recess area 59 in the hingeplate around the pilot plate, thus returning the hinge plate to thedesired position.

The present invention has been described utilizing particularembodiments. As will be evident to those skilled in the art, changes andmodifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments and yet fallwithin the scope of the present invention. For example, variouscomponents could be utilized which are sized or configured differentlythan illustrated. In other embodiments, different attachmentarrangements than those arrangements specifically shown and describedcould be used. The disclosed embodiments are provided only to illustrateaspects of the present invention and not in any way to limit the scopeand coverage of the invention. The scope of the invention is thereforeto be limited only by the appended claims.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention issusceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modificationswhich may differ particularly from those that have been described in thepreceding specification and description. It should be understood that wewish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all suchmodifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of ourcontribution to the art.

1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet with an outer wrapper, an innerliner and a foamed-in-place insulation between said wrapper and saidliner, two side-by-side cabinet doors, each connected to said cabinetwith a top hinge and a bottom hinge, a screw plate loosely capturedbetween said insulation and said outer wrapper in a locationapproximating the location for one of said top hinges, each top hingecomprising a hinge plate carrying a hinge pin engageable with one ofsaid doors, positioned on a top surface of said outer wrapper andremovably secured to said screw plate, said hinge plate including arecess area, and a pilot plate positioned on said top surface of saidouter wrapper, secured to said screw plate and being closely received insaid recess area in said hinge plate.
 2. A refrigerator according toclaim 1, wherein said hinge plate has non-rotatable shaped recess areaand said pilot plate has a complementary shaped perimeter.
 3. Arefrigerator according to claim 2, wherein said recess area has a squareshape.
 4. A refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said recess areacomprises an opening in a central area of said hinge plate.
 5. Arefrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said pilot plate is securedto said screw plate with a locking fastener.
 6. A refrigerator accordingto claim 5, wherein said locking fastener is a headed threaded fastenerwith locking serrations on an underside of a head of the fastener.
 7. Arefrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said recess in said hingeplate and said pilot plate are configured such that said hinge plate isnot permitted to rotate relative to said pilot plate.
 8. A refrigeratoraccording to claim 1, wherein said recess in said hinge plate and saidpilot plate are configured such that movement of said hinge platerelative to said pilot plate, in a plane parallel to said top surface ofsaid wrapper, is restricted.
 9. An arrangement for returning a removedhinge plate to a predetermined position on a refrigerator cabinet aftersaid hinge plate has been removed, comprising: a screw plate looselymovably positioned on an inside side of an outer wrapper of saidrefrigerator cabinet in a location approximating the location for saidtop hinge plate, said hinge plate positioned on an outer surface of saidouter wrapper and removably secured to said screw plate, said hingeplate including a recess area, and a pilot plate positioned on saidouter surface of said outer wrapper, secured to said screw plate andbeing closely received in said recess area in said hinge plate, saidpilot plate remaining in position relative to said screw plate and saidwrapper when said hinge plate is removed from said screw plate.
 10. Anarrangement according to claim 9, wherein said hinge plate hasnon-rotatable shaped recess area and said pilot plate has complementaryshaped perimeter.
 11. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein saidrecess area has a square shape.
 12. An arrangement according to claim 9,wherein said recess area comprises an opening in a central area of saidhinge plate.
 13. An arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said pilotplate is secured to said screw plate with a locking fastener.
 14. Anarrangement according to claim 13, wherein said locking fastener is aheaded threaded fastener with locking serrations on an underside of ahead of the fastener.
 15. An arrangement according to claim 9, whereinsaid recess in said hinge plate and said pilot plate are configured suchthat said hinge plate is not permitted to rotate relative to said pilotplate.
 16. An arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said recess insaid hinge plate and said pilot plate are configured such that movementof said hinge plate relative to said pilot plate, in a plane parallel tosaid top surface of said wrapper, is restricted.
 17. A method ofattaching a hinge plate to a refrigerator cabinet outer wrapper suchthat the hinge plate may be removed and replaced on the wrapper in anoriginally set position, comprising the steps: loosely positioning ascrew plate on an inside side of an outer wrapper of said refrigeratorcabinet in a location approximating the location for said top hingeplate, positioning said hinge plate on an outer surface of said outerwrapper and securing said hinge plate to said screw plate in a desiredposition, positioning a pilot plate on said outer surface of said outerwrapper and in a recess area in said hinge plate, securing said pilotplate to said screw plate, thereby when said hinge plate is removed fromsaid outer wrapper, said pilot plate will remain in place on saidwrapper and said hinge plate may be returned to said wrapper bypositioning said recess area in said hinge plate around said pilotplate, thus returning said hinge plate to said desired position.
 18. Amethod according to claim 17, wherein said pilot plate is secured tosaid screw plate with a locking fastener.
 19. A method according toclaim 17, wherein said recess in said hinge plate and said pilot plateare configured such that movement of said hinge plate relative to saidpilot plate, in a plane parallel to said top surface of said wrapper, isrestricted.
 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said movement isrestricted to less than 1 millimeter.